


I've Got You Under My Skin

by kataurah



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Bunker Fic, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, POV Outsider, Post-Season/Series 04, Romance, Tattoos, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, re-post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-19 23:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19981963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kataurah/pseuds/kataurah
Summary: Abby Griffin was a strong woman, formidable in her own way - not as a warrior, but as a mother and a leader - and she deserved a strong partner. Luckily, despite the way he was practically wringing his hands and fretting like an old woman at the moment, Indra had come to know Kane as a man worthy of that honour.In which Marcus has to ask the most important question of his life, and Indra takes on the role of "best (wo)man" to make sure he goes through with it.





	I've Got You Under My Skin

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-post of a previously uploaded fic.

"This is... Maybe this isn't a good idea. I mean, it's probably too soon, right? The timing is... it might never be right. She might not want to do this again, and I'm not -"

" _Kane_." Indra watched the man pace back and forth in the small, cramped hallway outside medical and wondered if he could even hear his own nervous babbling, but she wasn't about to let him fall down into a pit of self doubt; in her opinion it would be insulting to both Abby and himself for Kane to question either of their devotion to each other. "Don't be a fool, and don't be a coward."

Why did men always have to make such a fuss over things and blow them out of proportion? This was important, of course, but it was also simple.

"Right..." Kane murmured, mostly to himself, but he was still obviously tense and thrumming with anxiety. "I still don't think she'll go for the tattoo thing."

Indra sighed: a fuss over nothing. "It is the custom of most clans to seal unions with ink."

"But not all?"

"By all means, choose scarification instead. I believe that is the Azgeda way." She still felt that deeply ingrained stab of disgust at saying their name. No matter how long she was forced to live with them, they would never be her people. She felt at least a little gratified when Kane winced minutely; he, at least, was as opposed to that suggestion as she was. "How was it done on the Ark?"

"An exchange of rings. Old Earth custom," Kane replied, "Perhaps you remember the ring Abby wore?"

Indra remembered every detail of how Abby Griffin first appeared to her, for she had been sizing her up as an enemy. How she had strode alone across the clearing to meet with Indra, adorned in neither armour nor weapons, but with a plain, metal ring swinging on a chain around her neck as she moved. At the time, Skaikru had proved themselves to be nothing but weak in Indra's eyes, but when she drew her blade, faster than Abby could see it coming, and brought it to her throat, the smaller woman did not back down. She didn't cower or even cry out, but held Indra's gaze unflinching and resolute. She was, therefore, the first Sky person to earn an ounce of Indra's respect.

Abby Griffin was a strong woman, formidable in her own way - not as a warrior, but as a mother and a leader - and she deserved a strong partner. Luckily, despite the way he was practically wringing his hands and fretting like an old woman at the moment, Indra had come to know Kane as a man worthy of that honour.

"You were the one who asked me about our wedding ceremonies -"

"Yes, I know."

" - and I believe you said it would help unite us as Wonkru, if we adopted each other's traditions."

"I did say that, yes."

"Do you love Abby?"

Kane stopped in his tracks and looked at her incredulously, as if she'd just asked him if it was okay for her to go and take a stroll outside.

"Of course! Of course I do, that's not even -"

"Well then." Indra gestured to the door. Kane looked towards it, took a deep breath, blew it out, and squared his shoulders. Indra rolled her eyes.

He started to move, but before he could reach for the door it was yanked open from the other side by Kane's (hopefully) wife to be.

"I thought I heard your voice, what are you both doing out here?" Abby turned around and walked back inside, clearly expecting them to follow her. She appeared to have shed her usual layers of clothes, wearing only pants and a vest top, and was running a towel through her damp hair. Off their puzzled looks, she sighed and gestured to the sick bay, where Jackson hovered over several pale and coughing patients, and Miller seemed to be doing his best to distract him. "Kid threw up on me. Frequent occupational hazard."

Indra watched her flit over to check a bag of fluid attached to a boy from Yujledakru; she showed no indication of having heard what they'd been discussing in the hallway.

"You're pretty busy then," Kane said, in the tone of a man with one foot already out the door, "Perhaps later we can -"

"No no, it's fine!" Abby swiftly crossed back over to him and kissed him sweetly, "Nate came down to see Jackson and I haven't seen you all day. Did you bring food?"

A scan of them both brought a disappointed pout to Abby's face and, to Indra's amusement, Kane was flummoxed for a second.

"Did I...? Oh... No, sorry, I didn't."

She decided to come to his rescue, (and to also nudge the conversation along to his purpose in being here. Indra's purpose was, of course, to make sure he didn't run away.)

"He's been a little preoccupied." She told Abby, who predictably frowned in concern, looking between them,

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes," Kane trailed a hand up and down Abby's arm, "Everything's fine."

Abby narrowed her eyes, "Then why does Indra think it isn't?"

Kane sighed and looked over at Indra; she fixed him with a pointed stare that she hoped got the message across, for surely he wasn't hoping for an encouraging smile or a thumbs up. By all rights she should probably give them some privacy, but she recalled Kane's insistence several days ago, when he had told Indra, whilst slightly inebriated, of his plans to propose.

"I want to do this," He'd said, earnestly, "I _need_ you to help me do this right. I can't - I can't screw this up. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

After that Indra of course agreed to help; no matter what she might want everyone to think, she was not in fact made of stone. And if helping him "do this right" meant chaperoning them until Kane could get the damn words out, so be it.

Kane swallowed, nodded (to himself, or to Indra) and turned back to Abby, who was still looking concerned.

"Abby..." He took her hands in his, caressing them absentmindedly.

"Marcus?" She returned, eyebrows raised in question.

"I, um... Okay..." He shifted, moving closer still and looked down at their joined hands.

"Marcus, you're starting to worry me, here."

He exhaled a small laugh, "No, there's... There's nothing to worry about. At least I hope not." He raised his head to meet her gaze again, smiling softly, and Indra knew he'd found his courage in the eyes of the woman he loved.

"I know it hasn't been easy. God, I mean..." Another huff of laughter, "When I think about how far we've come. What we've gone through. But we've always made it, you and I. Together." He gave a small nod of affirmation; Abby was looking up at him with wide eyes, quietly waiting for him to continue, and Indra thought perhaps she had an idea now of where this was going. "I know there were times, when we thought we wouldn't. When... " His voice wavered, "When we weren't sure... if we _wanted_ to..." Abby drew a quick breath, her emotions clearly starting to overflow, and she held onto Kane as though, without him, they might sweep her away. Her eyes were bright and shining with the kind of exquisite pain that comes with a deep and devastating love, locked onto Kane's, neither of them daring to look away. Indra could not see Kane's face clearly, but she heard the the strain in his voice as he tried to push the words past the emotion clogging his throat.

"Abby, what I'm trying to say - badly - is that I want it to _always_ be us, trying together. This is our life now, and it's far from perfect, and there are things - _people_ who are missing," Abby's face crumpled a little, tears finally spilling, but she did not look away, "And it will always hurt... But I want to share it all with you. The pain and the joy and everything in between. I want us to share a life. A future... If you'll have me." Indra could hear the self-deprecating smile in his voice, and Abby have a small, tearful laugh, followed by a gasp as he lowered himself to one knee, "Abby, will you marry me?"

Indra was fairly certain she'd never seen Abby Griffin smile like this; yes, she was crying, but the look on her face was radiant and adoring and clearly overwhelmed.

"Yes," She whispered, breathlessly.

"Yeah?" Kane asked, stunned.

" _Yes_ , Marcus," She laughed, "Yes, I will! Come here!" She tugged on his hand, drawing him up into her arms, and they kissed deeply, joyfully.

Miller let out a whoop of delight, and Indra turned, swallowing down the lump in her throat that she would rather die than admit to, to see him applauding, with many of the resident patients following suit. Despite the language barrier for some of them, it was apparently fairly clear what had just taken place.

Jackson glanced at his partner with fond amusement, before looking back at the couple; there was so much quiet happiness and contentment on his face that Indra found herself crossing the room to stand next to him, even though they hadn't really ever spoken before.

"He actually did it." Jackson murmured in awe, and the two of them watched Kane and Abby sway in each other's arms, their foreheads pressed together, faces beaming with euphoric, love-struck smiles.

"I never doubted him." Indra stated, pride a warm glow in her chest; despite Kane's earlier panic, she knew she spoke true.

"She deserves to be happy," Jackson said, "She deserves... everything."

Indra looked at the young healer and understood then: they were not blood related, but those soulful brown eyes were those of a devoted son as he watched Abby.

"They both do." Indra said. Her people had all been through enough pain; Kane and Abby were her people now. She often looked at Abby, especially in those first days after praimfaya, and thought of the times when she wondered if she would ever see Gaia again. If one day she would never return and Indra would never know what had happened to her. She thought of her daughter, still distant but alive and safe down here, and Clarke, whose fate was unknown, and her heart ached for Abby.

However, in this moment, the other woman was not weighed down by sorrow; she giggled when Kane whispered something in her ear, cupped his face and shook her head, smiling like he was hopeless but he was hers. Indra was surprised when she then looked over at her,

"Thank you for talking some sense into him."

Indra let herself smile, "You and I are used to it by now."

Kane huffed in mock outrage as Abby snorted into his chest, "No ring, Marcus?" She asked, teasingly.

"Um..." He glanced at Indra, suddenly awkward again, "About that..."

To their surprise, there was a knowing glint in Abby's impish smile.

The role of tattoos in Trikru marriage rites, it turned out, was something Abby already had a fair knowledge of. It had been a conversation she once had with Lincoln, apparently. Not with herself in mind, obviously, but something Lincoln had brought up one day when they were in medical together and Octavia had just had her first tattoo.

"At least I know," He'd said, with a shy smile, "She won't have a problem with the tattoo part when I ask her to marry me."

Abby had stared at him in surprise and delight, and the conversation had naturally gone from there to marriage and Abby recounting Jake's proposal with a wistful smile, the happy memory unclouded, for once, by sadness or guilt.

Indra felt a sharp pang of grief not only for Lincoln - their relationship had been rocky those last few months, but she had known him all his life - but for the life together he and Octavia had been robbed of. It was bittersweet for Abby to tell it, she could tell, but then, as they made their way to find Gaia, who was the closest thing to an ordained priestess as they had in the bunker, she smiled and said,

"I'm sure it would amuse him to know I was getting one myself." She nudged Kane, "Bet you thought I'd put my foot down."

He looked contrite, "I, of all people, should know you're a rebel at heart." He drew her close and tucked her beneath his arm, and with an entirely too pleased smile announced, "My wife is a terrible influence."

Indra could swear Abby actually blushed, and Kane jumped as though she'd pinched his behind.

"Not your wife _yet_ ," She said, lightly, "There is a tattoo _needle_ involved, right?"

Indra tried not to roll her eyes again as Kane went pale.

In the end, it was a quick, though much talked about, affair. Helped along by Octavia, who reacted with a kind of youthful enthusiasm that Indra had not seen from her in such a long time.

"I can't believe you got to see Kane propose!" She heard her complain to a smug Miller.

Many spectators wandered over uninvited, people from all twelve clans gathered to watch two people from Skaikru reciting marriage vows in Trigedasleng. Vows that Kane had asked Indra to teach him, and that he had recited until they were word perfect and committed to memory. If it bothered Kane and Abby to be the centre of attention, they did not show it; they had eyes only for each other. This was, after all, what Kane had wanted, to bring the clans together and show them that they were Wonkru now.

They stood facing one another in front of Gaia; Indra, standing at the front of the crowd next to Octavia as the primary witnesses, could see every twitch of their mouths and flicker of their eyes as they shared secret smiles and appeared to being speaking a silent language all of their own. Gaia drew a dagger and Kane quickly offered her his hand first, perhaps to assure Abby, whose eyes had widened a little at the sight of it. They both seemed to wince more at the sight of one another's blood than when the blade pierced their own skin. Gaia guided their palms together, Abby's over Kane's, and wrapped a white cloth around their joined hands. Tying it off she stepped back and solemnly looked between them,

"Do you know the words?"

Abby looked lost and undertain for the first time until Kane nodded, "Yes," and smiled reassuringly at her. "Just repeat what I say," He murmured to her, softly, and her answering smile was full of love at the knowledge that he had prepared for this moment.

 _"Yu laik jus kom ai jus, en klaka kom ai klaka,_ " He said the words loud and clear, and, to her credit, Abby echoed him well, if just a little more hesitant. " _Ai giv op ai medo den yumi bilaik seimon. Ai giv op ai keryon kom oso sonraun ste odon."_ *

Perhaps she was doing better with her Trigedasleng, or perhaps the weight of the moment was enough, for Abby exhaled tremulously when the words were said, her eyes glistening.

"Your union will be sealed in ink, so that you both bear the mark of your beloved," Gaia declared, then she smiled, a rare and beautiful thing that made Indra's heart soar to see it. "You may kiss."

Kane slipped his free hand into Abby's hair, cradling her head, and captured her smiling lips with his own. Abby's hand wove into his hair too, their other hands still bound and held awkwardly to the side, and they kissed deeply, fervently, as applause and shouts rang out and echoed around the main bunker floor.

Indra smiled, even as she winced a little from Octavia's joyful hollering close to her ear, and watched Kane and Abby break the kiss before it tipped over the line of public decency. They shared a soft tearful smile and leaned their foreheads together as they had before. Kane cupped his wife's cheek, his thumb brushing away tears, and he nuzzled her nose with his whilst she giggled.

Indra turned away then, feeling like she was intruding on their intimacy, even though they were surrounded by people. She felt her daughter's presence beside her before she turned to look at her.

"Thank you for that, Gaia." The Order of the Flame, or what was left of them, were still unaccepting of the new system of leadership under Octavia kom Skaikru, and, in general, of the clan she was from. She wondered, if she had not asked herself, if Gaia would still have performed the ceremony. She got her answer though, when Gaia smiled,

"I'm glad to have helped, mother," She glanced at the couple, and for a moment she was a young girl wrapped up in the romance of it all, rather than the stern priestess she'd become, "They are happy."

"They are."

And though Kane was slightly less happy several days later, when the tattoo needle buzzed to life, he forgot his nervousness and his eyes darkened a little to see the band of ink gradually appearing on Abby's skin that would mark her as his, and him as hers.

"Ladies first?" He'd said, before they'd begun, and both women had shot him unimpressed looks ("Marcus, you've been voluntarily branded with a hot iron before now.") Abby had taken pity on him, however, hopping onto the chair and exposing her upper left arm almost eagerly. She'd initially gasped, and frowned in discomfort, but soon the tension eased from her, and now she was watching with fascination, her lips curled in a pleased little smile.

The tattoo was a band of interlinking Skaikru symbols that ran around the arm, and that branched upwards into a small tree. The tree, Kane had tried to explain to Indra, had been an important symbol of hope when they'd lived in space; it represented the ground that they would eventually return to, and it had been important to him and his mother.

"She wanted me to bring it down here," He told her, once he'd taken Abby's place in the tattooist's chair and was trying to distract himself by talking too much. "She wanted me to plant it, and I did." He frowned, "I suppose... it's gone now."

Abby took the hand that he wasn't holding as still as possible, and laced their fingers together, trying to comfort him. He was right of course; there would be nothing but ashes left in the wake of praimfaya. Only the high buzzing permeated the silence for a moment as they watched the black lines emerge, bold against Kane's skin. A permanent reminder...

"You will carry it with you, from now on." Indra said, nodding to Kane's arm, "Together."

They both looked at her, then to each other, absorbing her words.

"Together." Abby echoed, her smile tender as she gazed at her husband, who raised their joined hands to his lips, brushing a kiss against her skin.

Abby shivered and Kane smiled knowingly, though his eyes were serious when they locked with Indra's again and he nodded his thanks.

Indra would notice, in difficult times to come, how Kane and Abby would reach out and touch the other's upper arm, fingers tracing lines of ink that were more often than not hidden by clothes, to draw comfort and strength. Like everyone, the stories of their lives could be read in their skin, in lines and scars, and now in ink that spoke of the strength of their love, and the hope they carried for their people.

**Author's Note:**

> * The marriage vows (stolen shamelessly from Outlander):
> 
> "You are blood of my blood, and bone of my bone. I give you my body, that we two may be one. I give you my spirit 'til our life shall be done."


End file.
